SMWK

Sächsiches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst

Introduction

The Free State of Saxony as a German „Bundesland“ has a strong tradition in engineering and microelectronics. Now Biotechnology will become Saxony’s third industrial pillar – based on the tradition in engineering and Life Sciences. In 2000 Saxon Government has implemented an initiative “Biotechnology Offensive” to fuel growth of the regional biotech cluster by spending over 200 Mio. EUR on promoting the infrastructure, R&D projects and biotech-business. Now there exists a strong Life Science competence in universities and non-university research facilities and over 60 core biotech companies.

Funding in industrial biotechnology

Within the Saxon “Biotechnology Offensive” the SMWK supports application-oriented projects in industrial biotechnology with 500.000 EUR per year. Activities are

Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry - products based on renewablesThe topic includes improved crops, feed stocks and biomass for environment, energy and high added value industrial products.

BioprocessesThe topic supports the development of new and the optimization of existing biotechnological processes.

Current and future regional calls that include Industrial Biotechnology

Saxon State Ministry for Sciences and the Arts (SMWK):Call for proposals in the areas Green, Industrial and Environmental BiotechnologyFor more information see: www.smwk.sachsen.de

Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labour (SMWA): The programmes for technology support cover a wide range of application oriented research. Main applicants should be Saxon SMEs carrying out projects either individually or jointly in cooperation with other enterprises or with research institutes. Proposals can be submitted continuously at Sächsische Aufbaubank. For more information see the SMWA website.